


Realizations & Revelations

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-11-08
Updated: 2002-11-08
Packaged: 2019-05-15 09:24:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14787846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: Just when things are starting to calm down, Josh and Donna face a crisis...





	Realizations & Revelations

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Realizations &Revelations**

**by:** Brandy  


**Category:** Romance  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine. I've tried, but I can't get custody. Drat!!  
**Characters:** Donna, Josh  
**Rating:** YTEEN  
**Summary:** This is the 6th in the 'Flowers, Dinners  & Keeping Secrets' series. Just when things are starting to calm down, Josh and Donna face a crisis... 

* * *

  By October things had started to reach a level of calm that the administration hadn't enjoyed in a while. Josh had given his deposition, and while it was not an event that he ever wished to repeat again, it was not as bad as he had expected. Given the way Donna had been questioned about his health issues, he had anticipated having to answer some pretty harsh and intrusive questions. That had, surprisingly, not been the case. Oh, there were some glancing questions about the shooting, and his lengthy recuperation, but nothing about his mental state as a result of it. After some reflection, Josh developed a theory as to why that had happened.

  Shortly after Donna's deposition, Josh had received a visit from Congressman Skinner. It had started out as an impromptu discussion about a matter before the appropriations committee, that the Congressman had some interest in. That portion of the conversation had been dispensed with rather easily, and just as Josh thought they were about to take their leave of each other, Matt Skinner said something that kind of surprised him.

  "I want to say how sorry I am that Donna's deposition took the turn it did."Josh watched him carefully for a moment, trying to determine if there was some underlying meaning to his words. Worrying that he was becoming a tad too suspicious, he decided that Matt was just being a friend.

  "I appreciate that, Matt. I know if it was up to you, it's not something that would have come up."

  "Yeah- well, I just wanted to let you know that I didn't agree with it. How is Donna, by the way?" Matt asked, a trace of a smile on his lips.

  "She's good. She's still keeping me on the ball. She's tougher than she looks," Josh concluded with a smile of his own.

  "I got that impression a long time ago," Matt said rising, and getting ready to leave,   "Tell her I said hello."

  Josh replied that he would, and after shaking hands with one another, Matt left.A few minutes later, Toby stopped at the door of Josh's office.

  "You met with Skinner on the appropriations thing?"

  "Yeah," Josh replied, flipping through some notes on his desk.

  "How'd it go?"

  "About like I thought it would. He agreed with the things I thought he would, and said he would take the others under advisement. Nothing out of the ordinary. Why?"

  "Just curious," Toby replied.

  "Okay...," Josh said, giving Toby an odd look before going back to his work. Toby left, Josh presumed, to go back to his office. It wasn't until Sam stopped by later that he found out this hadn't been the case.

  "I thought you were the one meeting with Skinner about the appropriations thing," Sam asked, settling into the chair across from Josh, after helping himself to an apple from the bowl of fruit that Donna always managed to keep filled in Josh's office.

  "I did," Josh replied, looking a little confused.

  "Really? I just saw him and Toby talking in the Mess."

  "You're sure?" Josh asked.

  "Well... Toby's fairly hard to miss, and I do know what Matt Skinner looks like- so yeah, I'm pretty sure," Sam replied with a little grin.

  "I wonder what that's all about?" Josh muttered, more to himself than to Sam.

  "I have no idea."

  "Okay. Did you come in here just to steal my produce, or did you have a reason for interrupting my busy day?" Josh asked with a smirk.

  "I came in to ask if you and Donna want to come over tonight, order a couple of pizzas and watch the game," Sam offered, polishing off the last of the apple and tossing the remains in the wastebasket.

  "Sorry, we can't make it. I've got to go over some stuff for my deposition next week, and Donna's got this thing with her roommate...some birthday thing or something."

  "Okay. Maybe some other time," Sam replied, getting up and walking to the door.

  "You bet...Hey, Sam?"

  "Yeah?"

  "You really don't have any idea what Toby and Matt Skinner were talking about?"

  "I really don't. I'll see you later, Josh," Sam replied and went back to his office, leaving Josh to his somewhat puzzled thoughts.  


  Donna came back to Josh's office about an hour after Sam had left. She had been helping the President with one thing or another. Even though he had filled Mrs. Landingham's position, at least temporarily, he still liked to ‘borrow' Donna occasionally. In the few light moments there had been recently, President Bartlet occasionally threatened to steal Donna away on a more permanent basis. Even though Josh knew he was teasing for the most part, the thought still made him uncomfortable. It would be a wonderful opportunity for her if he did actually offer it to her, and one that she couldn't afford to pass up. However it made him cringe when he thought of what it would be like not to work side by side with her every day. He pushed those thoughts away when he saw her walk in and drop into the chair across from him. She looked tired, but she was smiling. She was always smiling when she came back from working on something for the President. Josh had come to the conclusion that she was still extremely flattered that of all the people he could call on, he called for her when he had a pet project he wanted to research. Of course, Josh always took this as his cue to tease her a little.

  "So, did you and the President have another successful meeting of the secret society of trivia geeks?" Josh asked with one of his patented cocky grins.

  "One of these days I'm going to tell the President you call him a geek behind his back," Donna warned, trying her best to hide her smile.

  "In all honesty, I'm pretty sure he already knows that...besides, I was actually calling both of you geeks," Josh pointed out, his grin widening.

  "And you'll receive suitable punishment for that remark."

  "Threatening me with ‘tough love' again, Donna?" Josh remarked, with a little leer.

  "Actually - I was thinking of giving the pleasure of your impending, and well deserved punishment to the President," she replied with a satisfied smirk.

  "You've got a pretty healthy mean streak there, Donnatella," he observed, losing a little of his smirk.

  "Why, thank you, Joshua," Donna replied with a wide smile, then, as she was prone to do, changed conversational topics with her customary abruptness. "I heard you had a meeting with Congressman Skinner."

  "Yeah, we were discussing the appropriations bill. He told me to tell you hi, and..." Josh trailed off, thinking once again about the comment Matt had made.

  "And?," Donna prompted.

 "He apologized for the way your deposition was handled."

 "Hmmm.."

 "What's that mean?"

 "Nothing. Only...well, it doesn't really surprise me. Congressman Skinner isn't as prone to take the low-minded path that some of his fellow Republicans favor. Not to mention the fact that, politics aside, you two are friends."

 "That's true," he agreed, and the subject ended there. They discussed his schedule for the rest of the day and she reminded him of some things that she had already taken care of for him, since she wouldn't be there this evening.

  "You will try to contain your joy at having a night off won't you- and try not to get to rowdy with your friends?" Josh said, only half teasing.

  "Josh, I don't get rowdy. If I ever knew how to get rowdy, then I've certainly forgotten since I've been working for you," Donna remarked with wry humor and an arched brow.

  "Are you trying to say I'm no fun?," Josh asked, almost pouting.

 "You have your moments," Donna replied, relenting in her teasing long enough to lean over and give him a quick peck on the cheek as she left his office. He was watching her leave and as she reached the closed door, she turned a little and looking over her shoulder, she gave him a wink and a smile. He sat back in his chair, chuckling to himself, thinking that he was right when he told Matt that Donna kept him on the ball. She did indeed.  


  Josh's deposition, which lasted a grand total of a day and a half, was surprisingly painless. He had been expecting a lot worse, so he was both relieved and a little puzzled when it ended with relative ease. Since he lived in the world of national politics, he was naturally suspicious of the relative ease of his deposition, all things considered. After a little careful checking, he came to the conclusion that someone had made the suggestion to certain well chosen republicans that it would not be in their best interests to use any possible after-effects of the shooting for self-serving purposes. In other words, the message had been sent- you want to use the shooting to make either the President or Josh Lyman look like liabilities, the administration would use it to make them look like heroes. If his theory was correct, he was glad that it had worked out the way it had. He didn't exactly relish the notion of being publicly martyred.

  After most of the depositions and hearings had been concluded, things started to reach a more normal state of controlled chaos. It was the kind of chaos they all were used to. The normal everyday tempo of tending to the peoples business, and they all were enjoying it with new appreciation. It was in the midst of this renewed comfort that Sam approached Josh about taking him up his earlier invitation for pizza and beer and a late Sunday afternoon of football. Josh checked with Donna, who said it sounded like just the kind of relaxation and fun they all needed. Eventually, CJ, Toby, and even Ainsley ended up being included. Times and details were worked out before they parted that Saturday afternoon, and later Josh would think how blissfully ignorant they had all been of the wheels of fate that had just been set in motion.  


* * *

   They had all agreed to meet at Josh's apartment. Even though Sam had been the one to suggest the get-together, they had decided to do it at Josh's place since it was bigger, and Josh pointed out that his cable was more reliable. Everyone was supposed to arrive around three-thirty, as neither Josh or Sam wanted to miss the kickoff which was scheduled for four o'clock.

  Toby was coming with CJ since his car was in the shop again. CJ had been razzing him about replacing it. He argued that he couldn't afford it right now. She would retort that he should have paid more attention to his ‘stock'- always stressing it's singularity. They would go around like this, in their old familiar dance of thrust and parry, until one of the others would step in. This usually occurred right before one or the other of them could really sink their teeth in with their biting wit. There was nothing malicious or mean about it; they just liked to do their little verbal sparring dance every once in awhile. It was like Josh and Donna with the banter- only on a whole different level.

  Everyone was starting to arrive when Josh's phone rang. He walked over to answer it, still laughing at CJ and Toby's antics. It was Donna.

  "Hey, where are you? I expected you a while ago..."

  "I got stuck helping Cammie with something. It took a little longer than I thought. I'll be there shortly. Do you want me to pick up anything on my way?" Donna asked.

  "I don't know...maybe some of those hot wings from that place near you?" he suggested and was not surprised to hear Donna's reply.

  "You don't need to eat anything that greasy or spicy," she replied disapprovingly, just as Josh had suspected. That was okay. He had his counter-argument all figured out.

  "I know that. I'm not thinking of me...I was thinking of CJ. She loves those things. You've got to think of the others, Donna," Josh implored.

  "You really expect me to believe that, don't you?"

  "Well...yeah."

  "Okay, fine. I'll pick some up- but if I see you eat any, you are in big trouble, buster," she warned, knowing full well that Josh hadn't been thinking of CJ in the least when he asked for them.

  "Thank you, Donna," Josh smiled, thinking how nice it was to love a woman who knew him so well, and loved him despite his faults.

  "You're welcome-I guess. Anything else?"

  "Just you...and soon, please. I miss you."

  "You just saw me last night," Donna replied, but the tenderness in her voice said that she was touched by his statement.

  "Seems like a long time ago to me. Hurry up."

  "I love you too, Josh," she said, knowing that's what he had been saying to her. Josh looked at the crowd of friends in his living room, and knew that it wouldn't be complete until she was there.

  "Me too. Hurry."

  With that, they hung up and Josh turned his attention back to his friends, who were now engaged in a rather heated debate over what toppings they would order on the pizza. Sam wanted anchovies, CJ was arguing in favor of ham and pineapple. Ainsley, of course, wanted everything on it. Toby was of the opinion that it really didn't matter, since  it was impossible to get decent pizza outside of New York, anyway. Josh, wisely, stayed on the sidelines of this little debate, preferring to watch with increasing amusement. ‘It really is astounding that these people hold the positions they do', he thought, shaking his head in amused wonder.

  They finally reached a level of agreement on the pizza issue, deciding to order one of every kind that had been suggested, and ignoring Toby's disparaging comments about any pizza made in the D.C. area. After that, they settled in to watch the game, Josh only occasionally looking to the front door, waiting for Donna to arrive.

  The pizza arrived near the end of the first quarter of the game, but Donna still hadn't shown up. It was at this point that Josh felt the first pangs of worry. It wasn't like Donna to be late, and traffic surely couldn't be that bad on a Sunday afternoon. He got up from the sofa, ignoring the others as they complained over a bad call the official had just made, and went to look out the window that faced the street. At some point Sam turned to where he was standing, and exclaimed, "Josh, did you see that? I can't believe he didn't throw a flag on that play!"   

  "What?" Josh asked, still surveying the street below for any sign of Donna. Sam noticed the distraction in his voice and the worried crease of his brow.

  "Hey- what's the matter?"

  "Donna's not here yet."

 "She probably got hung up. She called, didn't she?"

 "Yeah- she was helping her roommate with something..."

 "Well, there you go. Something else probably came up-" Sam was trying to be reasonable and encouraging.

  "She would have called back. She said she was on her way when she called earlier. That was almost an hour ago."

 Sam could hear the worry in his voice, and knew that Josh wouldn't be satisfied until he either saw or heard from Donna. Sam stood there for a few moments, trying to think of something constructive to offer, when Josh let out a sigh of  frustration and turning away from the window, said, "I'm going to try to get her on her cell."

 Just as he was about to pick up the phone, it rang. Josh saw Sam smile and gesture to the phone, as if to say, ‘See. I told you. She's fine.'

  Josh picked up the phone, relief already starting to relax his features, since he was as sure as Sam that it was Donna on the other end of the line. He was sure she was about to launch into some colorful and meandering explanation of what had caused her to be wherever she was, instead of being there. He didn't hear that. In fact, he wasn't sure exactly what he was hearing on the other end. There was someone yelling in the background, and he heard a scream at one point, followed by what could only be described as a howl of rage. When the others, not knowing what Josh was hearing on the other end of the phone, started cheering over a touchdown, Josh turned to them and yelled for them to shut-up. That was enough to get everyone's attention, and they all turned to him in confusion and concern. Sam, who had been watching Josh since he picked up the phone, walked over and hit a button on the remote, turning it off. The room fell silent as they all watched Josh.

  Josh was oblivious to the eyes on him. The only thing holding his attention was the sounds coming through the phone- sounds that didn't make any sense. Then he heard two sounds- one rapidly following the other, that he had no trouble distinguishing. A gunshot and screaming. Josh closed his eyes as those two sounds provoked memories  better left undisturbed. He struggled to get himself under control, and when he regained a little calm, he began to wonder if this wasn't some sort of sick practical joke. A glance at his caller I.D disputed that theory pretty quickly. His heart sank as he realized the number listed there was Donna's cell phone number.

  "Donna?" Josh spoke into the phone, his voice shaking with fear and anxiety.

 It was oddly quiet after the gunshot and screaming had died away. He heard some noises, but they were mostly indistinct, then he heard the yelling again. It was a man, and Josh was sure he heard the words ‘brother' and ‘shot'. Grabbing a pen from the table and one of the flyers from the pizza delivery place, Josh scribbled, ‘Call 911-  shots fired ! NOW!' and handed it to CJ, who was now standing directly beside him. When CJ looked at him, confused and anxious, Josh hit the speakerphone button on the phone and set the receiver in the cradle.The sounds, the yelling and screaming that Josh had been hearing, were now filling the living room. Josh looked at her for the briefest moment, and said only, "Donna's there."

  This galvanized CJ into action. Grabbing her cell phone out of her bag, she crossed the room and dialed the number, speaking quietly and urgently to the dispatcher on the other end of the line. After a few moments, CJ walked back over to where they all stood, each with varying expressions of shock and worry, Josh's being the worst of all. He stood closer than the others, his eyes wide and his hand over his mouth, his other arm crossed over his chest, almost in a protective pose, as if he could shield himself from what he was hearing and the mental images those sounds provoked. CJ touched Josh's arm, not really surprised when he jumped a little before he turned to face her. She could feel the tension coursing through him. The look in his eyes as he faced her almost reduced CJ to tears.

  "I gave the police her cell number, and they say as long as the line stays open they can run down her location. It will take a little while though," CJ stated in a low, controlled voice. Josh's eyes narrowed at that last statement, and CJ noticed the muscle flexing in his jaw as he rasped, "How long?"

  "Possibly as long as thirty minutes," CJ replied, bleakly.

  "What if she doesn't have that long?" Josh ground out, and turned away from her, his attention once more focused on the phone in front of him. CJ knew that he wasn't waiting for a response. She knew the only thing he wanted to hear was Donna's voice, telling him that she was alright and everything was okay. CJ motioned Toby over to the other side of the room, and waited until he joined her.

  "Call Leo and tell him what's going on. I gave the police my cell number, and I want to keep the line clear. See if you can get him to lean on D.C.P.D, maybe hurry the trace in some way."

  "CJ, I‘m sure they're doing it as quickly as they can."

 "Just do it, Toby," CJ replied, her voice taking on an edge that was rare for her. Toby recognized that it was fear and worry that was causing it, and while he felt it no less, he knew that at least one of them had to stay as calm as possible.

  "Okay. It's worth a shot, anyway. CJ..."

  "Yeah?"

  "She'll be okay."

  "You're sure of that?  Are you, Toby?," CJ asked, and Toby could hear the cynicism that she tried so hard to keep at bay creeping into her voice.

  "Yes," Toby replied, and when he saw her eyes soften just a little, knew that, for now, she believed his rather blatant lie. He knew she believed it, like him, because she wanted to. She touched his shoulder and then walked back to the group huddled around the phone, listening for, hoping for, the sound of Donna's voice. There was precious little to hear now, except for the occasional frightened whimper, or the anguished and angry yelling of the man that they assumed was wielding the gun. There were other sounds, but they were mostly indistinguishable. There was an air of expectancy in the room that starting to wear on all of them, but especially Josh. Just when he thought he would jump out of his skin if he heard another scream or sob, he was rewarded with the one sound he had been waiting so fervently for. Donna's voice. She, however, wasn't talking to him.

   "Please listen to me. Your friend needs medical attention. If you give yourself up, he can get it."

  "Shut up! I told you before to shut up! He's not my friend...he's my...my brother."

  "Oh...well, that's even more reason. You don't want your brother to die. That other man- the one you shot- he looks bad too. If you get him help, it will go easier on you."

  "Screw him. He shot my brother- let him die. He deserves it."

  "But if he dies-"

  "I told you to shut up! I don't care! I'm not going back to jail . I've just got to think of a way to get us out of here..."

  "The police can help you if you-"

  "I'm not telling you again. Shut the fuck up! I can't think with you babbling at me. Now, shut up before I shut you up!"

  All of them standing there listening could tell that he, whoever he was, was very close to Donna from the increased volume of his voice. After a moment, they heard him yelling at someone away from Donna, and Josh, his voiced choked with emotion leaned in close to the phone.

  "Donna...I don't know if you can hear me, but help's on the way. I promise. Just hold on. I love you, Donna."

  He listened closely, hoping and praying to hear her acknowledge him. To say anything. When nothing came his head dropped into his arms. Then another sound came through the lines. A sound he dreaded more than any other. Another shot and the line went dead.

  "NO!!!" Josh yelled, grabbing the phone and yelling Donna's name over and over. In the midst of this, CJ's phone rang, everyone but Josh turning at the sound. She spoke into it for a moment, before turning to the rest of them.

  "That was the police. They've got her location."

 These were the only words that could have reached Josh at that particular moment. He stood, and walked towards the door, practically knocking the others out of his way.

  "Let's go."

  They looked at each other for a moment before following after Josh. One thing was clear in all of their expressions. Fear of what they would find when they reached their destination.  


* * *

  


  They caught up with Josh out on the sidewalk. With a minimum of discussion, it was decided that Josh would ride with CJ and Toby. Sam and Ainsley would follow them in his car. Josh hadn't said a word to anyone since he had left his apartment, so CJ was a little surprised when he asked her something once they were on their way. He asked where they had located Donna.

  "Some little store...The Barton Market," CJ replied, glancing at Josh when she did. She was shocked to see his eyes widen and his face pale significantly. He looked as if he was about to pass out. She quickly pulled over to the side of the road, anxiously turning to Josh once she was out of traffic.

  "Josh, what's wrong? Are you alright?" she asked, looking first at Josh, then over her shoulder at Toby, then back to Josh.

  "No...yes. God, CJ, don't stop. Please, let's just get there," Josh said in a low, desperate voice.

  "Are you sure?" CJ asked, clearly worried about the state of his health. He, frankly, looked like a man about to have a heart attack.

  "Yes. I need to be there. Now."

  With a sigh of resignation, CJ pulled back into traffic and continued towards their destination. Josh didn't say another word for the rest of the drive. He stayed slumped and huddled against the door, looking sightlessly out the window. CJ had never seen a more desolate expression on anyone than the one that was so clearly etched on Josh's face at that moment.  


  They arrived at the location the police had given them only to find that the block had been cordoned off. They parked their cars as close as possible to the police perimeter and walked forward until they were stopped by one of the patrol officers doing crowd control. CJ told him who she was, and told him they needed to see the lead detective on the scene. He looked as though he was about to argue with her, but after glancing from her to Josh and Toby who were standing on either side of her, he relented. With a shrug, he walked across the street to speak to the detective in charge.

  The whole area was a chaos of activity. There were at least a half  dozen patrol cars around the perimeter, and at least two EMS vehicles standing by. Josh was only peripherally aware of the activity. His sole focus of attention was the storefront across the street. It was one of those little family-owned stores. The kind that ran credit accounts for some of it's regular customers, but didn't take credit cards. The owners, a couple in their late fifties, ran the place with the help of their son and daughter. Lately though, it had just been the two of them, since the kids were off at college. A couple of years ago, they had added a deli. The deli had sparked a lot of extra business for them, the hot wings they served were, by far, the best around. At least, they were the best Josh had ever tasted. The very same hot wings that Josh had asked Donna to pick up on her way to his place today. She was in there because of him.

  Sam kept a careful eye on Josh while they waited to speak to the detective. He was worried about Donna, just like everyone else, but he couldn't do anything to help her. He really couldn't do anything to help Josh either, except look out for him. He could only imagine the kind of thoughts that were going through Josh's head right now. He knew what a highly defined sense of guilt Josh had. Especially when it came to those he was closest to. He knew about his sister, but very little. Which was to say, he knew that Josh felt guilty about something regarding his sisters death, but not what that something was. Of all of them, with the exception of Leo, he had known Josh the longest. With the exception of Donna, he knew him the best. So at that moment, his fear for Donna was inextricably linked with his fear for Josh.

  Toby knew that Josh was very close to the breaking point. The signs were all there. He knew that the only thing holding Josh together at the moment was the tenuous thread of hope that Donna would walk out of this alive and well. He also knew that every moment spent waiting without any word of news was stretching that thread closer and closer to the breaking point. Seeing the officer they had spoken to a moment ago, Toby got his attention, and moved slightly away from the others.

  "Officer, I need you to do something and I need you to do it right now."

  "Mr. Ziegler, I told the detective you wanted to talk to him. He'll be over as soon as he can."

  "Officer, I don't think you fully appreciate the situation. There is a White House staff member being held in there. Now, I want you to go over there and tell that detective to get his ass over here now!" Toby's voice had risen significantly on those last six words. Enough to gain the attention of everyone in the immediate area. The officer looked around quickly, not particularly relishing the added attention. He looked at Toby again, and saw that this could quickly turn into a situation that he didn't want any part of.

  "I trust we understand each other, Officer," Toby said, already knowing the answer.

 The officer nodded and walked over to where the detective stood, and even from his vantage point, Toby could tell he was communicating the message with all possible urgency.

  "Was that really necessary?" CJ asked, leaning close so she wouldn't be overheard.

  "Look at Josh, and ask me that again... if you need to," Toby replied.CJ didn't need to look. She knew he was right.  


  Less than five minutes had passed before the detective came over to where they were standing. Approaching CJ, he put out his hand in greeting, "Ms. Cregg? I'm Detective Morgan."CJ took the offered hand and briefly told him who the others were.

 "What's the situation at this point?"

 Morgan look around briefly at the onlookers, "Why don't we speak over here," he said, directing them into a pharmacy behind them where the police had set up a command post.

 When they had all filed in, Morgan shut the door behind them.

  "Well?" CJ prompted.

  "We know that two perps went into the market at about three forty-five, both armed, looking to rob the place. Apparently they thought they'd get a significant enough haul to suit their purposes, because it was general practice for the Barton's not to do a bank drop during the weekend. As far as we can determine, there are three other customers in there in addition to the owner, Ralph Barton, and your friend...Miss Moss, is it?" CJ nodded and he continued on.

  "We received an alarm dispatch for this location about twenty-five minutes before you called us. The alarm dispatch was apparently...ah...mishandled."

  "Mishandled? What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Toby asked, his voice dangerously calm.

  "It means that it wasn't given the proper priority. Apparently, the Barton Market had just recently installed their alarm system and they'd been having numerous problems with it. My best guess is they thought it was another false alarm. So it wasn't placed in immediate priority."

  "Do you know anything else about what's going on right now, Detective Morgan? Has the man holding them been in contact with you?" CJ asked.

  "No. We tried to initiate contact, but so far- no luck. We know shots were fired, but not who was hit or how badly. I'm sorry I can't tell you more," Morgan replied, looking as if he was preparing to leave and return to his position outside. CJ and Toby exchanged a look of incredulity, and then CJ turned back to the detective.

  "One of the customers, or the owner, was hit. He shot one of the robbers. From what we understand, the robbers are brothers, and one of them is hurt pretty badly. The one who wasn't shot has been in jail before. We don't know about the other one."

  "How do you know this?" Morgan asked, astounded at the wealth of information they possessed.

  "Donna was speaking to one of the men. She was trying to encourage him to give himself up. To get help for his brother- only she said friend. He corrected her. Telling her it  was his brother," CJ replied.

  "You heard the entire conversation?" Morgan asked.

  "Yes, we all did."

  "I wish I could. It might help a lot," Morgan said, sighing over the missed opportunity to get inside the head of the guy that was holding those people hostage.

  "I have a transcript of sorts..." Ainsley offered. Everyone in the room turned to look at her, with the exception of Josh. He was still standing at the door of the pharmacy, his eyes never leaving the market across the street.

  Ainsley blushed slightly when all the attention turned to her. She had been so uncharacteristically quiet since everything started, the rest of them had almost forgotten she was there.

  "You have what?" CJ asked, her tone bordering on disbelief.

  "Well...when we heard Donna's voice on the phone I started making notes. I wrote down everything that was said, and whatever noises or things I heard in the background," Ainsley explained, her discomfort increasing when they all continued to look at her as if she'd grown an extra head. She shrugged and said, "I can't help it. It's the lawyer in me."

 Detective Morgan was the first one to say anything, and even he couldn't help but smile a little.

  "Please tell me that you have those notes with you, Miss....?"

  "Hayes. Ainsley Hayes. Yes I have them," Ainsley replied, reaching into her purse and handing the detective a small notebook. She watched as he skimmed the notes. He looked back up at all of them, and especially Ainsley.

  "These might be very helpful." taking one more glance at them as he walked to the door, Morgan shook his head, smiling a little, "I've got to say, this friend of yours, Miss Moss- she appears to be a very brave, exceptional woman."

  "You have no idea," Josh said, holding the gaze of the detective that was standing next to him when he spoke. The look between them last only a moment, but it was long enough for Detective Morgan to see the unimaginable fear and anguish in Josh's eyes. Morgan tried to give him a smile of encouragement, but instinctively he knew that it wouldn't be any comfort. As his gaze traveled from Josh to each of the others standing there, that instinct became fact. At this point there was no comfort beyond the one that would be received when their friend came out of this alive and well. It was his job to ensure that happened...and soon.

   

* * *

  
Donna sat on the floor at the back of the Barton Market. Her mind was a jumble of thoughts, but they all had one central theme. Josh. Was he alright? Did hearing those gunshots on the phone bring back memories of the night he was shot? Were the others looking out for him? ‘What a stupid question, Donna', she thought to herself. ‘Of course they're looking out for him. They love him almost as much as I do.'

  She could see them in her minds eye, each handling this situation in their own way. CJ would be in ‘control mode', getting information, keeping everyone calm, making sure all the bases were covered. Toby would use the unique gift he had for making people stay on target and get the job done, no matter what the odds. He would do this with that deceptively calm voice of his that brooked no argument. Sam would be keeping a careful, yet constant, eye on Josh. He would have the difficult job of making sure that the others didn't become so immersed in worry that they couldn't function. She also knew that if this ended badly, Sam would be the one to make sure Josh didn't fall into a black hole of grief, pain, and guilt. Josh...she could see Josh so clearly, it was almost as if she could reach out and touch him. She knew him so well. She could see him pull that totally undeserved mantle of guilt around his shoulders. She knew that as soon as he realized where she was, that he would be convinced that this had happened to her because of him. He would never acknowledge that this could have happened at any time, on any day. She was in and out of this market all the time. It was nothing more than happenstance that had caused her to be in this store at the moment these two men decided to rob it. It was as illogical for him to assume the blame for it as it would be to blame Cammie for making her run late today. Josh would never blame Cammie for her part in the chain of events, he would carry that burden alone. The more she thought of it, the more frustrated she became. She had to do something...anything to make sure she walked away from this okay. She had to make Josh understand that he didn't have anything to feel guilty for. She wondered if he was outside the store, watching and waiting. Instinctively, she knew he was. She knew the others were with him. She drew strength from that, and pushed her frustration away as she tried to come up with a plan to end this, and end it soon.  


  Detective Morgan stood outside the pharmacy/command post. He had left Miss Moss's friends inside and come outside to go over the notes of the conversation between her and the robber. He wished  she had managed to get a name when she was talking to him. The cop in him knew that that was wishing for a little too much, but it would have been nice. If the guy had indeed been in jail before, they could have pulled up his sheet, seen what he'd done, what he was capable of. As it stood, they were dealing with too many unknown variables, and that made him very nervous. The one helpful fact was the fact that one of the gunmen had been shot, and that the other gunman was his brother. He could use that in a negotiation- if only the guy would talk to him.  


  The situation inside the market was worsening with every minute that passed. Donna was terribly worried that Mr. Barton was very close to dying. He had barely moved in the last twenty minutes. Her heart was breaking for him and his wife. He was such a sweet man, and he and his wife were such a loving couple. They had just celebrated their silver wedding anniversary. She knew that it had been very hard for him to shoot that man. It had shocked her to find out that he even owned a gun, much less kept one in a drawer under the register. If only he hadn't had the gun...if only the robber hadn't tried to take the gun away from Mr. Barton. Donna sighed in frustration. It was pointless to think this way. All of those things had happened. There was no taking it back. The point was, what could be done now.

  Donna watched as the robber she had talked to knelt close to his brother. He was frantic and desperate. His brother's condition as bad as, if not worse than, Mr. Barton's. When he heard the sirens and had saw the police cars circle the storefront, he had fired a wild shot towards the front of the store. Donna only assumed that it was his way of warning them not to try to enter. The phone inside the store had begun to ring not long after the arrival of the police. He would pace the floor, waving his gun around and yelling, all the while ignoring the ringing. Finally he would grow tired of listening to it, and pick it up, only to drop it again, effectively silencing it- until the next time it rang. Every time he picked up the phone, Donna would say a fervent prayer that this time he would talk to the police. This time they would begin the process of getting out of this hellish situation. Each time, her hopes were cruelly dashed. She couldn't help but wonder how he thought he was going to get out of here. Was he waiting for his brother to die and then make some sort of wild escape- hoping that he could allude the dozen or more police outside? Was he hoping to use one of them as a hostage in order to gain his freedom? Donna looked around at her fellow hostages. One very elderly couple was huddled together, petrified with fear, near the front of the store. In the opposite corner of the same wall Donna was leaning against sat a teenage girl, somewhere between thirteen and fifteen. She was hugging her legs to her chest in a frightened, protective way. Her wide eyes followed the man with the gun wherever he went. Donna knew she was as scared as could be, but she hadn't shed one tear. She was trying to put up a brave front. For just a second, her and Donna's eyes met and Donna gave her a smile. Trying without words to let the young girl know that she wasn't alone, that they would get out of there. The girl's eyes softened for a moment, and she nodded almost imperceptibly.

  Donna's attention was diverted at that moment by some commotion near the front of the store. The man who had been shot by Mr. Barton was regaining consciousness, and was talking to his brother. She couldn't hear what was being said by the injured one, but she could just make out what the other one was saying.

  "You hold on, Mark. We're getting out of here. I just gotta' figure out a way..."Donna scooted a little closer. From her vantage point, she could see the injured brother shaking his head back and forth. Apparently, Mark didn't have quite the same amount of faith that his brother did that this was going to turn out in their favor. Being shot in the chest would do that.  From what she had noticed of him before, Mark looked like the younger of the two. He had probably followed his older brother into this foolishness and now he was paying for it.

  ‘ Come on man...haven't I always taken care of you?" the older brother said with an attempt at false bravado. Mark apparently saw right through this, shaking his head again, and Donna heard him struggle to say his next words. "No use...give up."

  "No man...we can get out of this. I can't go back to jail man. You don't know what it's like..."

  "Would you rather have your brother die?" Donna asked, impatiently-shocked that the words had come out of her mouth.

  "You shut up, bitch! What do you know about it. My brother's gonna to be fine !," the older brother turned on Donna, his gun now pointed at her. Donna froze in fear, unable to think for a second as she considered what would happen if he fired at her. She had an instant flashback to Josh, lying on the operating table, his ribs spread open as the doctors fought for fourteen long hours to save his life. She knew then that she had to find some way to reach this man. She had to make him understand what a fragile hold his brother had on life at that moment. Taking a shuddering breath, she spoke to him again, keeping her voice as calm and even as possible.

  "I do know, unfortunately. Someone very close to me was shot in the chest a while back. They got him to the hospital fairly soon after it happened, but he was still in surgery for fourteen hours. He almost died. If he hadn't gotten medical attention when he did, he would have died."

  He watched her while she was talking. He could see the tears in her eyes and he knew that she was telling the truth. He didn't want his brother to die. Mark was all the family he had left. Everyone else had either abandoned them or died. All they had was each other.

  "So what's that got to do with my brother?" he said, unwilling to let her know that she gotten through to him.

  "The fact that he's still alive is a miracle. You need to take advantage of that. He's your brother and he's counting on you. Please do whatever you need to do to help him," Donna pleaded, and all the pressure and fear that she had been so fervently holding at bay began to spill out. Tears trailed down her cheeks, tears that had been held for so long. They fell now at the memory of Josh almost dying,and the realization that they had only just begun to enjoy what they had waited so long for.

  The phone began to ring, pulling them both out of their thoughts. He looked in the direction of it impatiently. Donna thought he would just start to rage at it again when he began to stand, but she saw his younger brother grab his arm. He turned to him, leaning close when he realized his brother was trying to say something.  Donna heard him, but only because she had been inching closer the whole time she had been talking to the older brother.

  "Listen to her. Talk to them."He leaned back, away from his brother. After a moment of silence, he stood and turned to Donna.

  "You come over here and watch out for him. I'll talk to the cops."He walked over to the phone, and was just about to pick it up, when he turned to Donna once again.

  "You better take good care of him, lady. He dies, and all bets are off. I'll get out of here anyway I can. No matter who else dies in the process."

  When he turned away, Donna swallowed her fear and sent up a fervent prayer that his brother would live. That they all would.  
  


  Detective Morgan had given the order for them to try to make contact again. This was going on way too long with no contact, and that didn't make for a hopeful outcome. In all the years he'd been doing this kind of work he'd learned certain things. He could predict when a situation was going to be manageable, when the tide was starting to turn in his favor, and when things had spun out of control and the shit was about to hit the fan. He hated the unknown, and that's what he was dealing with. So, he kept trying to reach the ones who were, at the moment, in control. He had walked into the command post, given the order for them to repeat the call, and walked outside to grab a smoke. He didn't have a lot of faith that this time would be any different than the last, but he had to try. He just couldn't bear to watch the disappointment on the faces of Miss Moss's friends again when it didn't work. He was just about to toss his cigarette, which had suddenly turned foul tasting, when one of the officers stuck his head outside .

  "Lieutenant Morgan..."

  "Yeah?"

  "We've got him on the line."

* * *

  Aside from the cops manning the phone, Josh was the first one to realize that they had finally made contact. It took every ounce of self control he still possessed to not grab the phone and demand that they release Donna. He knew that wouldn't help matters. He couldn't yell, or bully his way through this situation. This guy wasn't some recalcitrant senator that he could threaten with political retribution. This guy held Donna's fate in his hands. When it mattered the most, he couldn't do a damn thing but sit around helplessly and wait. So much for being a powerful man.

  Detective Morgan came back into the command center and after a quick look at Josh, took the phone from the officer holding it. He noticed that the others had started to drift over, silent, yet expectant.   

  "Detective Morgan here. Who am I talking to?"

  "Doug."

  "Okay Doug- can you tell me if anyone's hurt in there?" Morgan asked, scribbling on the notepad in front of him.

  "My brother...that bastard shot my little brother in the chest!"

  "Who shot your brother, Doug?"

  "That guy- that old guy. The one who runs the place. All he had to do was give us the money! I didn't want to shoot him - all we wanted was the fucking money! He shot my little brother, so I shot him."

  "I'm sorry about your little brother, Doug. Can you tell me if the man who shot him is still alive?"

  "I don't care! He shot my little brother....What? Wait a minute... The lady said he's still alive, but he's pretty bad. I don't care. My brother's worse. He's just a kid!"

  "Okay, Doug. I understand how you feel. I've got a brother, and I know how I'd feel if somebody shot him. Why don't we talk about what we need to do to get your brother some medical attention."

  "I ain't going back to jail man."

  "Why don't we just concentrate on getting some help for your brother right now and worry about that later? You mentioned a lady...what lady are you talking about?" Morgan asked, noticing that Josh moved a little closer. He looked like he was about to lose it. Morgan gave him a look of subtle warning, and motioned to the officer to give him an ear-piece to listen to the conversation.

  "I don't know who she is...some blonde chick with a big mouth. She won't stop talking. She‘s sitting with my brother." Morgan smiled a little and Josh let out a breath that hadn't even been aware he was holding. Morgan, realizing the others watching couldn't hear what he and Josh could, scribbled on the pad in front of him, holding it up so that they could see the words "SHE'S OK".

  The collective sigh they all let out made him glad that he'd taken the time to let them know. It also made it easier to concentrate on what he was doing without several pairs of eyes boring holes into him.

  "Well, that's good that she's watching over him. Why don't we see about getting him out of there and in the hands of people who can take care of him a little better?"

 "That's the idea, cop. But I'm not letting you guys come in here and I ain't walking out with him- so how're we going to do it?"

  "Let's see, Doug...how about you let me think on that for a minute. Could you let me talk to the lady for a minute, and you sit with your brother? Can you do that for me?"

  Morgan waited, in his mind he could almost see the guy tossing the request over in his head, trying to figure out if it was a trick of some kind. Finally he heard a sigh on the other end of the line and Morgan knew he'd just won his first battle.

  "Ok- but you try anything funny and somebody's going to pay for it. Just remember that, cop."

  Morgan heard him call the person he suspected was Donna over to the phone. Then he heard a rather tremulous "Hello..."

  "Hello, ma'am. This is Detective Morgan. I need to ask you a couple of things. I'm going to ask you questions that I just want you to answer yes or no . Okay?"

  "Okay...I mean, yes."

 "That's good. Okay... Are the store owner and the one robber the only ones injured?"

  "Yes."

  "Is the owner, Mr. Barton still alive?"

  "Yes...barely."

  "Are there any kids in there?"

  "Yes...one."

  "Are you Donna Moss?"

  "Yes. How do y- yes."

  "You have quite a few friends here who are waiting rather impatiently to see you. One in particular is looking even more impatient than the others. You want me to give him a message for you?"

  "Yes...tell him...tell him I love him and to stop having stupid thoughts about things he has no control over."

  "Yes Ma'am. I'll give him the message. Can you put Doug back on the phone, please?"

  Morgan asked, looking at Josh, knowing what a huge relief it was for him to hear her voice. He also knew that Josh knew it wasn't over yet.

  "Who?....Oh yeah. Ok."

  Morgan heard her call Doug back over to the phone.

  "Ok, cop. Time's up for you, cause my brother's running out of it quick. What's your  brilliant plan?"

  "Okay, Doug. Let's lay it out. You've got your brother in there, and he needs medical attention. Then we've got the store owner who also needs medical attention-"

  "Screw him! We're talking about my brother."

 "Doug...listen to me now. I'm trying to work with you here. You shot that man and no matter what your reasons, if he dies because you let him, you're going to have a whole bigger set of problems. You don't want that- now do you?"

  "What's your plan, cop?"

  "I'm getting to it, Doug. Just stay calm and stay with me. You got a kid in there too, don't you?"

  "Kid! She's barely younger than my brother. What about her?"

 "Well, I think she could wheel out two stretchers, don't you? How about if I have two stretchers brought to the front of the store, and left there. This girl can come out and get your brother on the first one, and then the girl brings out the owner on the other one. You can keep your eye on her the whole time. We promise- no funny stuff."

  "What about the girl? You just want me to let her go too?"

  "Come on, Doug. She's a kid. A kid's just going to make problems for you. You still have the others, and you've got rid of your headaches. Plus you're getting your brother the help he needs. That's the whole point...Isn't it?"

  Morgan waited, again knowing that this guy was weighing his options, trying to decide what to do. Finally he got his answer.

  "Fine. Get it done and I mean quick. My brother doesn't have time for you to pull any bullshit tricks."

  "Okay, Doug. We're on it. I'll call you back as soon as the stretchers are in place and we'll get this done."

  "Hurry up."

  Morgan heard him hang up and turned to the officer sitting to the right of him.

  "I want two officers in EMS uniforms and body armor now. I also want two stretchers brought out in front of the command post. Right now."

  "Yes sir"

 

   When the officer ran out the door to do as the Lieutenant requested, Josh grabbed Morgan's arm and turned the man to face him.

  "Why didn't you try to get Donna out of there too? She could have taken one of those stretchers out. You didn't even try, damn it!"

  Morgan saw Sam come up from behind, trying to lay a restraining hand on Josh, but he knew that Josh was oblivious to both his words and his touch. Morgan also knew that Josh needed to hear his reasoning, so that he could understand. He looked down at where Josh's hand still had a firm grip on his arm, then back up to Josh's face.

  "You want to back up a little Mr. Lyman, and I'll explain."

 Josh looked down at his hand, gripping Morgan's arm and with a shrug and a sigh, he removed his hand and actually stepped back a step or two.

  "Explain."

  "I knew damn well he wasn't going to let me have more than the girl. It might have jeopardized the whole situation just asking. I was lucky I got her and the store owner. The fact that I did get them shows just how desperate this guy is. I'm walking a fine line with him and it's starting to pay off. Plus, having a kid in there is a wild card. She may start to freak out and piss him off in some way. Hopefully she can also give us some valuable information as to what the mood is like in there."

  "And Donna couldn't have done that?!" Josh yelled.

  "Mr. Lyman, I already gave you my reasons for choosing the girl- but here's one more. Your friend is my ace-in-the-hole."

  "What the hell...this isn't some game, Morgan!"

  "Sure it is. It's just a damn serious one. I would bet my next three paychecks that Miss Moss is the one who got him to finally talk to us. She's smart enough to know exactly how to deal with someone that's irrational and on the edge."

  "You called that one right, Lieutenant Morgan," Toby said, from where he stood leaning against a counter, giving Josh a rather significant look. Morgan noticed the look that passed between the two men, and figured that he would keep whatever comments he would have on that score to himself. He needed Josh to calm down and trust him. He didn't need anything making this situation more volatile than it was.

  "Look, Mr. Lyman...If it means anything to you, I don't think this guy is out to kill anyone. He's just got himself into a situation that he doesn't know how to get out of. He thought it would be a nice simple boost and now his brother's laying in there with a bullet in his chest. I can work this guy. I know it. You need to trust me though, and not make my job any tougher."

  "Fine. I'll back off. But Morgan..."

  "Yeah?"

  "You better be as good at this as you say you are," Josh said, and Morgan could see that even though he didn't elaborate, it wasn't an idle threat. He meant every word he said.  He wasn't worried though, illustrating that when he smiled and replied, "I haven't lost one yet."

  At that moment, the officer that had left moments before returned.


End file.
